France’s Le Pen gets sentenced to four years in prison

(MENAFN) A Paris court has sentenced Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French right-wing National Rally (RN) party, to a four-year prison term, half of which is to be served under home arrest. The conviction comes in connection with a case where Le Pen and other RN members were found guilty of embezzling EU funds meant for European Parliament offices between 2004 and 2016. In addition to the prison sentence, Le Pen has been barred from running for president in 2027, with the ban taking effect immediately.

The court also imposed fines and seized funds from the RN, totaling €2 million ($2.2 million). While Le Pen plans to appeal, the decision has sparked criticism from her allies, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who voiced support for her. Le Pen stepped down from RN’s leadership in 2022 but remains a prominent figure in French politics, leading her faction in the National Assembly.

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